Post-apocalyptic times call for post-apocalyptic measures. The end of all ends elicits from us a fear that is as primal as it is endless. If it is true that individual death is a fear we all share — and a destiny we all shall fulfill — it is just as true that there is a…
As the title, The Curse of Downers Grove, suggests, there’s a curse on the small town of Downers Grove — each year, a senior dies in the days leading up to graduation. I incorrectly assumed the curse would be supernatural, and as soon-to-graduate high school senior Chrissie (Bella Heathcote, “Dark Shadows”) tells her friends, it’s…
Awakenings are as births: Inherently unappealing and, when looked upon closely, intrinsically unclean. Only those involved are interested in such event and only their tricky memories (and the time that there elapses) can pretty it up till the point of making a miracle out of it — a radical makeover. And so we come of…
There was a time when the zombie movie was confined to a single genre, back when George Romero was terrorizing survivors in farm houses and shopping malls, but now things have gotten more complicated. The popular-as-ever undead have wandered beyond horror into the comedy, action, and drama genres. It’s great that they’ve branched out, but…
Films inspired by video games usually fall into two categories: Bad (“Doom,” “Super Mario Bros.,” “Tomb Raider”) or terrible: (“Mortal Kombat,” “Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li,” “Max Payne”). Hitman: Agent 47 (a remake of the 2007 picture starring Timothy Olyphant) neatly fits into that last category. There are many reasons for this, including poor…
A common criticism of modern filmmaking is a lack of originality. And in a medium of formulaic genre styles that thrive on remakes, reboots, sequels and extended cinematic universes, it’s perhaps a valid point to make. Yet there is one main advantage to movies that carry a sense of familiarity — consistency. Whether it is…
A good rock song, like any piece of art, can make its mark in one of two ways: It could innovate and expand the parameters of a tried-and-true formula, or it could stick to the established conventions and attempt to find its synergy in the charisma of the artists and performers. If one were to…
